


Dietary Research Lab 102

by miniaturedragonfly



Series: Advanced Culinary Arts [4]
Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Gen, Post-Episode: s05e05 Geothermal Escapism, Season/Series 05
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:41:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27552511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miniaturedragonfly/pseuds/miniaturedragonfly
Summary: Shirley ventures further out of her comfort zone and makes some almond-flour cheesecake for Jeffery.
Relationships: Shirley Bennett & Jeff Winger
Series: Advanced Culinary Arts [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2011546
Kudos: 24





	Dietary Research Lab 102

Shirley Bennett had spent most of her life taking care of people, in one way or another. That didn’t bother her—it was what she had been called upon to do, and she was happy to assist the Lord’s plan in whatever way seemed appropriate. It did, however, mean that sometimes she needed an escape, something she could do for herself, to recharge.

For Shirley, baking was that escape. It had stung a little when Jeff had insisted, their junior year, that she “wasn’t allowed” to have baking as an identity (he hadn’t said it _to her_ , but she’d overheard him telling the rest of the group to avoid eating her pies at Troy and Abed’s housewarming party), but deep down she knew that she _was_ allowed, because baking was something she did for herself, and not really for anybody else. Baking resulted in batches of treats she could share with her family and her friends, which allowed her to think of it as something useful and caring she could do for other people, but unlike everything else in her life, that wasn’t the reason Shirley baked. She baked for the very act of baking.

So she didn’t like to compromise on her recipes. It wasn’t just that she feared the possibility of making something that wasn’t up to her usual standards, though that was part of it. Her recipes were part of her, inextricably, and changing them to fit the tastes of others felt dishonest, somehow.

But she had made an exception, just that once, for Britta. Because loving someone means that they’re part of you, so of _course_ they’re going to change who you are, a little bit. And if Shirley was her baking and Shirley’s baking was part of Shirley, then that meant Britta was part of Shirley’s baking now, too, and she deserved to be invited to participate in Shirley’s baking.

Well, not _participate_. Shirley wasn’t sure she would trust _any_ member of the study group to actually work in the kitchen with her as she baked—even Abed, with all his falafel-business experience, was surprisingly prone to mixing up measuring utensils, as she’d discovered while making those damn mini-pies for the housewarming party. But Britta deserved a seat at the table, at least.

Baking for Britta, learning new ways to use her skills, had felt _good_. It had felt _fulfilling_ , even _creative_. Vegan recipes had come a long way, Shirley supposed—or maybe baking delicious vegan food had _always_ been possible, and Shirley just hadn’t wanted to look. Either way, that had changed now. Shirley was ready, even excited, to find new recipes and experiment with them to perfection.

Her next target was Jeff. He guarded his feelings a little better than Britta, but Shirley knew Jeff well enough by now to catch the conflicted look on his face when he reached for one of Shirley’s treats. Jeff was willing to eat carbs for her, and that was nice, but it was time for Shirley to be willing to accommodate Jeff in return.

She wasn’t really sure if there was a name for the way Jeff ate, but she knew he didn't eat carbs, so she typed “baking with no carbs” into google. She had to scroll down the page and click around a little to find what she was looking for, but it seemed like a cheesecake would be her best bet. This was definitely going to mean eggs and dairy, so she thought she’d hurry up and get this recipe done while Britta still had brownies to eat.

She sent Britta a quick text, just to make it perfectly clear that she wasn’t going to go back to ignoring Britta’s choices now that she’d made one batch of vegan brownies.

 **Shirley Bennett (5:23pm):** Bringing lo-carb cheesecake tomorrow. Not vegan but I still love you

 **Britta Perry (5:27pm):** i understand. im sure jeff will appreciate it :)

Shirley smiled, and printed the recipe. She looked over the ingredients, pleased to have found a recipe that didn’t require anything too surprising. She needed almond flour, though, so she headed out to pick some up. The fancy grocery store was a little more expensive, but since she only had to buy one special ingredient, she splurged on some organic strawberries and blueberries, plus a kiwi, for decoration.

While Shirley prepared the cheesecake, she hummed to herself. This was what baking was supposed to feel like, she reminded herself. This was exciting and enthralling, this was what baking was _about_.

 _When did I stop baking like this?_ Shirley wondered to herself. _And_ why _did I stop baking like this?_ Even as she asked herself the question, she knew the answer. Somewhere along the way, her identity had stopped being about baking, and started being about _being the best at baking_. She had stopped experimenting, stopped pushing herself, out of the fear of producing something that wasn't up to her usual standards.

Shirley checked the clock as she set the cheesecake in her fridge. It was getting late, so she’d decorate it in the morning, but she had enough time to slice the strawberries and kiwi and plan out what she wanted the top of the cheesecake to look like. Normally, she’d throw the strawberries and blueberries in a bowl with some sugar and lemon juice, and cover the top of the cheesecake in a layer of the sweet syrupy mixture, but that seemed like something Jeff would hesitate to eat, and this was Jeff’s cheesecake. She overturned a clean empty pie tin to use as a circular practice surface, washed her hands thoroughly, and went to work.

Two hours later, Shirley’s camera roll was full of photos of various options she’d tested out, and her eyelids were growing heavy. She hadn't quite made a decision yet, but it seemed like the sort of problem she could sleep on, so she headed to bed.

Before heading to Greendale the next morning, Shirley took the time to arrange the strawberry slices, blueberries, and kiwi triangles on top of the cheesecake. She stepped back and smiled. It looked a little different from everything else she’d ever made, and she wasn’t really sure it would taste as good as her usual cheesecakes, but this was a risk she was willing to take for Jeff.

Shirley sailed into the study room, cheesecake held aloft, and set it ceremoniously in the center of the table. Jeff eyed it warily, as if approaching a challenger.

“Shirley, this is the fourth time this month you’ve walked in here with a platter of something as irresistible as it is unhealthy. Are you punishing me for something? Did I insult your baking prowess? I take it back, whatever it was, just please, I beg you, release me from this delectable prison of carbs and—“

“Oh, spare us the speech, Jeffrey. I used almond flour. Here,” Shirley said, reaching past Annie to hand Jeff a slip of paper.

“Seven net carbs? Alright, you got me, I’m in,” Jeff conceded.

Shirley smiled a smile that was only a tiny bit smug, glad that she’d thought to clip the nutrition facts from the bottom of the recipe for him.

“I brought whipped cream for anyone who wants it,” Shirley announced, pulling the can out of her purse, “or you can enjoy it without.” She handed the whipped cream to Annie, then drew out a small stack of paper plates, a bundle of forks, and a cake knife. She sliced up the cheesecake, noting contentedly that it seemed to be behaving exactly as any cheesecake should.

Annie helped her pass out the slices, which Shirley appreciated even if she did use it as an excuse to pass out checklists for the coming week so they couldn’t pretend to have never received them. Shirley added some whipped cream to the top of her serving, took a deep breath, and tasted a bite. She hadn’t been able to try the cheesecake before serving it to her friends without cutting a slice, so she chewed slowly, critiquing her work.

The almond flour made a difference, but didn't detract. She could tell it was distinct from her usual cheesecake recipe, sure, but she was beginning to think that that wasn’t a bad thing.

“Okay, I take it back,” Jeff interrupted Shirley’s thoughts. “Whatever I, or anyone else, might have done to warrant this, tell me, so I can make sure it happens every week.”

Shirley didn’t even try to hide her smile, just grinned openly at Jeff from across the table.

“I’ll help,” Abed agreed, nodding at Jeff.

“Well, maybe I’ll add it to the menu at Shirley’s Sandwiches. I’ve been thinking about expanding the menu to include more options,” Shirley said, looking at Britta. She _hadn’t_ been thinking about it until she spoke up, but suddenly she _was_ , and it seemed like a better idea with every word out of her mouth. “Low-carb desserts, real tofu. I hear they make vegan mayo now, too.”

“That sounds like an excellent business decision, Shirley,” was all Britta said, but there was something like pride gleaming in her eyes.

“Just to be clear, though, you know that cheesecake is still a _dessert_ , making it unhealthy by definition, right?” Jeff smirked.

“I’m doing the best I can here, Winger,” Shirley defended herself. “But on that note, I have _decided_ that I will not take it personally if anybody chooses not to partake, in future.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Jeff scoffed, but it was a friendly scoff, one that really said _I know you’ll do your best_ , and Shirley busied herself with packing away the cheesecake before anybody could look to her for a snappy rebuttal.

At the end of the day, Jeff hung back and walked with Shirley to her car, even though it was far away from the faculty lot where Jeff had been parking since freshman year.

“Was that for me?” he asked. He didn’t specify, but Shirley knew what he meant.

“Yes and no,” she answered honestly. “It started out being for you, but somewhere along the way I think it became something I was doing for myself. Experimenting. Challenging myself. Expanding my skills. I had fun.”

“Well, thanks, and you’re welcome, then,” Jeff grinned. They’d reached Shirley’s car.

Shirley opened her arms. Jeff leaned down. They embraced, comfortably. Before climbing into her minivan, Shirley held out the remainder of the cheesecake, which she had kept in the fridge at the sandwich shop for the rest of the day.

“Take this home with you. You can enjoy it on your own time,” she offered, choosing not to add _where nobody is there to watch you eat it_.

Jeff smiled, abashed. “Was it that obvious?”

“I can count the times you’ve walked me to my car _without_ an ulterior motive on one hand, Jeffery,” Shirley scolded him, lovingly.

He shrugged. “What can I say, I’m a busy man with a _very_ tight schedule.”

“Oh, save it,” Shirley retorted. She rolled her eyes as she got into her car, but as she pulled away she looked Jeff in the eye and smiled softly at him. _Mission accomplished_ , she thought.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a series in which Shirley bakes something for each member of the Save Greendale Committee during the latter half of season 5.


End file.
